Diego Ramírez Islands
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The Diego Ramírez Islands (Sp. Islas Diego Ramírez) are a small group of lesser islands in the Drake Passage, located in the southernmost extreme of Chile about 100 km (60 mi) southwest of Cape Horn and 93 km SSE of Ildefonso Islands, stretching 8 km north-south. Their land area is little more than 1 km². The islands belong to the "comuna de Cabo de Hornos" of Antártica Chilena Province. They are divided into a smaller northern group with six islets, and a larger southern group, separated by a passage 3 km wide. The islands contain the southernmost point of South America (including islands), a title often incorrectly awarded to Cape Horn. Islote Águila, the southernmost islet of the group is south of 56°32'S.
They were first sighted on 12 February 1619 by the Garcia de Nodal expedition, and named after Diego Ramírez. They were cited as the southernmost land mass plotted as of that time, and retained the honor for 156 years, until the discovery of the South Sandwich Islands in 1775.
The Chilean Navy established a meteorological station above Caleta Condell, a small cove on the northeast side of Isla Gonzalo, islands in 1951, and resupply it several times each year. This is the southernmost manned outpost of South America (including islands), even if the South Sandwich Islands are regarded part of South America, since the Argentinian station on Thule Island was dismantled in June 1982 (in the aftermath of the Falklands War). The next southerly manned outpost of South America is the lighthose of Cape Horn. Cruise ships occasionally pass by on their way to and from Antarctica.
The islands are an important nesting site for a number of southern seabirds, including the Black-browed Albatross, Shy Albatross Grey-headed Albatross, Rockhopper Penguin, and Southern Giant-Petrel.
